Baptist beliefs
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This article is written like a personal reflection or opinion essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. (October 2011) |
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The beliefs of Baptist churches are not completely consistent from one Baptist church to another. Baptists do not have a central governing authority, unlike most other denominations.[citation needed]
However, Baptists do hold some common beliefs among almost all Baptist churches.[citation needed] Baptists share so-called "orthodox" Christian beliefs with most other moderate or conservative Christian denominations.[citation needed] These would include beliefs about one God, the virgin birth, the sinless life, miracles, vicarious atoning death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Trinity (the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, together with God the Father), the need for salvation (though the understanding of means for achieving it may differ at times), divine grace, the Church, the Kingdom of God, last things (Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge everyone in righteousness), evangelism and missions.[citation needed]
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Overview [edit]
The following acrostic backronym, spelling BAPTIST, summarizes Baptists' distinguishing beliefs:[1]
- Biblical authority (Mat 24:35; 1Pet 1:23; 2Tim 3:16-17)
- Autonomy of the local church (Mat 18:15-17; 1Cor 6:1-3)
- Priesthood of all believers (1Pet 2:5-9; 1Tim 5)
- Two ordinances (believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper) (Acts 2:41-47; 1Cor 11:23-32)
- Individual soul liberty (Rom 14:5-12)
- Separation of Church and State (Mat 22:15-22)
- Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon) (1Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1-2)
Two ordinances [edit]
Baptists practice believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion) as the two acts of faith-obedience to the example and commands given by Christ for Christians.[citation needed] They differ from the other ordinances of God in that they were specially instituted by Christ.[citation needed] Most Baptists call them "ordinances"[2] (meaning "obedience to a command that Christ has given us")[3] instead of "sacraments" (activities God uses to impart salvation or a means of grace to the participant).[4] Therefore, historic Baptist theology considers that no saving grace is conveyed by either ordinance and that original sin is not washed away in baptism.[citation needed] Baptists have traditionally believed that they are symbols.[4]
Some Primitive Baptists and Free Will Baptists also practice foot washing as a third ordinance.[5][6]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- ^ Cummins, David L. This Day in Baptist History 2. Greenville, SC: BJU Press, 2000.
- ^ This distinction by Baptists dates at least back to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith[citation needed]
- ^ Sacrament versus Ordinance - Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)
- ^ a b Baptism: Sacrament or Ordinance? :: :: A Reformed, Christian Blog[dead link][unreliable source?]
- ^ http://www.nafwb.org/believe
- ^ Crowley, John (1998). Primitive Baptists of the Winegrass South 1815-present. University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1640-1. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
